DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has released updated guidelines for schools on Friday.
Among the new guidance is that students and teachers can observe three feet of social distancing instead of six feet.
Health officials conducted a new study which found there is no significant difference in infection rates at schools that practiced less than six feet of social distance.
In middle and high schools, the CDC recommends students stay three feet apart in communities where transmission is low. However, in communities where transmission is high, such as Broward and Miami-Dade counties, keeping students six feet apart should remain in place.
According to the CDC, older students are more susceptible to contracting the virus than young children.
Broward County Teachers’ Union President Anna Fusco spoke with 7News about the new guidelines.
“I knew new guidelines were going to come out, it’s expected,” she said. “More and more people are getting vaccinated — our teachers and our educators. All of our Broward school employees have had wonderful opportunities to get appointments. It would have been nice to keep the CDC guidelines in place for a few more weeks, you know, extra precautions for when we come back in the schools, but it was good to see that they still want to keep the six feet for middle and high school and areas that it’s, you know, the rate is high, and I know still here in Broward County, our transmission rate is still considered high in the red zone.”
The CDC director said current distancing guidelines are likely the reason schools have not been able to reopen.
It is still recommended that all adults continue to practice social distancing of six feet apart, especially in common areas such as lobbies and auditoriums as well as when children are engaging in extracurricular activities such as band and singing.
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